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(No ModeL) S. A. BAILEY, COMBINED ANTIRATTLER, SHAFT SUPPORT, AND SAFETYSTRAP. vNo. 591,318. Patented Oct. 5, 1897.

\ ami iii .qltorizey UNITED STATES PATENT OF ICE.

SELDEN A. BAlLEY,-OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

COMBINED ANTIRATTLER, SHAFT-SUPPORT, AND SAFETY-STRAP."

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 591,318, dated October5, 1897. Application filed April 26, 1897. Serial No. 633,990. (ll'omodel.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SELDEN A. BAILEY, a. citizen of the United States ofAmerica, residing in New York, in the county of New York, in the Stateof New York,have invented a new and useful Combined Antirattler,Shaft-Support, and Safety-Strap for Thill-Oouplings, of

which the following is a specification.

' The objectof this invention is to provide for buggies and otherVehicles a combined shaft-support, antirattler, and safety-strap whichis simple in construction, effective in operation, and cheap tomanufacture and which may be readily applied to wagons already in use aswell as to those in process of construction.

Figure 1 of the accompanying drawings represents a side elevation of athill-couplin g embodying this invention, including a crosssection ofthe axle and a fragment of a thill, a portion of a jaw of the axle-clipbeing broken away and the parts being in the position which they assumewhen the thills are elevated in horizontal position for use. Fig. 2represents a plan View of the under side thereof. Fig. 3 represents aside elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1, the parts being in theposition which they assume when the thills are swung upright out of use,one jaw of the axleclip being broken off to show the position of the eyeof the thill-iron relative to its bolt and the extended axle-plate whenthe thill is so elevated. Fig. 4 represents, on an enlarged scale,afraginent of the axle-clip in section and the eye of the thillinelevation, showing the positionof the latter relative to the bolt andplate when the thill is in horizontal position for use.

The same reference-numbers indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures.

The axle has two axle-clips, to which th thills are shackled. Theaxle-clip (shown in the drawings) has the usual jaws 21 and 22,throughwhich the shackle-bolt 23 is passed.

The thill-iron is attached to the thill by bolts 41 and 42 or by othermeans. The eye 31 of this'thill-iron has an opening somewhat larger thanthe shackle-bolt 23, on which it is pivoted, in order that it may havesome lateral play on said bolt. This eye is preferably provided on itsexterior rear portion with a fiat face 32.

land 28.

eye '52 at its rear end.

The clip-yoke 25, which passes under the axle and connects the ends ofthe clip spanning the axle, has a forward extension 26, whichprojectsunder the shackle-joint of the thill and serves as abearing-surfaceforthe eye of the thill, as hereinafter described. This extension isprovided with dependent lugs 27 A curved spring 50, constructed of stiffplate-steel, connects the axle-clip with the thill and serves in'suchconnection as an antirattler, shaft-support, and safety-strap. Thisspring has an approximately straight portion 51 at its front end,adapted to fit the under side of the thill or thill-iron, and an It isrigidly fastened at its front end to the thill by any suitable meansas,for instance, by the bolt 42, which also serves to hold thethill-ironand it is pivoted or shackled at its rear end to the axle-clipby means of a bolt 29, which passes through the eye 52 and through theshackle-jaws 27 and 28 of the yoke of the axle-clip. From its point ofpivotal conn ection with the axle-clip the spring bows outward andthence curves slightly inward toward the thill, being approximately ofogee shape in its preferable form. The shackle of the spring is disposedadjacent to and substantially in line vertically with the shackle of thethill to the axle-clip, and this arrangement of the shackle-joints inconnection with the two opposite curves of the spring permits the thillto be swung downward so that its free end will touch the ground, andupward into verticalposition when not in use.

When the horse is harnessed to the Vehicle, the tension of the springs,as 50, is such as to hold the eyes, as 31, of the thill-irons, as 30,firmly in contact with the clip-yoke extension, as 26, so that rattlingisprevented.

When the vehicle is not in use, the thills are preferably swung intoupright position, and the flat faces, as 32, of the thill-irons engagethe extended clip-yokes, as 25, and assist the springs, as 50, inholding the thills in this position.

The spring-50 being fastened at one end to the thill and at its oppositeend to the axle clip serves also as a safety-strap for preventing anaccident in case a shackle-bolt which secures the thill to the axle-clipshould break.

In suchan emergency the spring acts in the capacity of a shaft-iron andall danger of the shaft falling and striking the horse on the heels isavoided.

It will thus be observed that my device performs the triple function ofan antirattler, a shaft-support, and a safety-strap.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a thill-coupling the combination of anaxle-clip, a thill shackled thereto, a metallic spring rigidly fastenedat one end to the thill and shackled at the other end to said clip at apoint adjacent to and vertically in line with the shackle of the thill,said spring being bowed outward permitting the thill to rest on theground or in upright position and serving as a support, as asafety-strap, and as an antirattler.

2. In athill-coupling, the combination of an axle-clip, a thill shackledthereto, a metallic spring rigidly fastened at one end to the thill andshackled at the other end to said clip at a point adjacent to andvertically in line with the shackle of the thill, said spring beingcurved inward near its point of connection with the thill and bowedoutward in its rear portion, permitting the thill to rest on the groundor in upright position and serving as a support, as a safety-strap andas an antirattler.

3. In a thill-coupling, the combination of an axle-clip havingshackle-jaws, and a clip-yoke extending under said shackle-jaws and alsoprovided with shackle-jaws, a thill having a thill-iron shackled tothejaws of the axleclip, the eye of said thill-iron having a flat facefor engaging said yoke, and a metallic spring fastened to the thill andshackled to said clip.

4:. In a thill-coupling, the combination of an axle-clip, a clip-yokethereon, a thilliron shackled to said clip, the eye of said thill-ironhaving a flat face for engaging said yoke, and a spring fastened at oneend to the thill and at the other end to the axle-clip.

5. In a thill-coupling, the combination of an axle-cli p, the bowthereof having shacklejaws, and the yoke having a front extensionprojecting under said jaws and provided with shackle-jaws, a thill-iron,the eye of which is pivoted to the jaws of said how and adapted to bearon said front extension, and a spring connected at one end to saidthill-iron and shackled at the other end to the shackle-jaws of saidyoke, said spring operating to hold the eye of said thill-iron incontact with said front extension when the thill is in operativeposition and thereby serving as an antirattler.

6. In a thill-coupling, the combination of an axle-clip, a thillshackled thereto, a spring rigidly fastened at one end to the thill andshackled at the other end to said clip at a point directly under andvertically in line with the shackle of the thill.

7. In a thill-couplin g, the combination of an axle-clip, a thillshackled thereto, a spring rigidly fastened at one end to the thill andshackled at the other end to said clip at a point directly under andvertically in line with the shackle of the thill, said shackles forminga close joint whereby the eye of the thill-iron is adapted to bearfirmly against the clipyoke.

S. A. BAILEY. Vitnesses:

M. F. BOYLE, J. B. GLAUTICE.

